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i just finally finished insulating my 7.5 gallon brewhouse boiler. the stainless racking cane will be cut up to make 2 thermo wells that i want to weld into the cover. the reason for 2 is so i can have a probe at 2 diferent depths in the boiler

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i put 3 layers of insulation on the sides and one layer on the bottom.
Then i used that sticky aluminum tape to keep all the overlaps in place. I didn't just put short pieces. i ran them down the sides and half way across the bottom.

a few of the places where i put the tape do not stay fully adhered to the insulation-

if i apply mild heat with my heat gun will that help????

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what else would anyone recomend????"

Nice looking job. I don't think the heat gun will be a problem, as long as you don't hold it in one place too long. I'd take a piece of scrap insulation & give the heat gun to see how long it lasts at various settings. Better that than hose your work right off the bat.

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the heat gun didnt help one bit.

Now i'm wondering if there is something i could paint over the aluminum.

naturally if i just leave it alone it should be fine. It's just that insulating the other one worked out soo well.






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Yes thats our next move. :)"

Won't the heat from your burner burn the insulation on the bottom? Reflectx is not fire proof.

"we dont want reflux at the wall. i would also like a bit more scientific explanation--
We work hard to get the cooling at the top why any place else. and

Insulating the bottom would insulate the hotplate from the boiler. Sorry but that souns like a large mistake.:)


????Possibly keeping the copper mesh cooler would increase reflux before we condense at the top?????:)"

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Hes talkin about Rick Morris the owner of Brewhaus America"

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Well Scotty remember, just cuz he owns a brewery supply company don't mean hes right. It could just be his opinion based on his own experience. I too am a advocate of isulating the column as well as the boiler."

Providing your column is packed well you should not see any issue with channeling, as the packing will force the liquid to 'alter course'.

With respect to insulating the column, it is necessary in very cold or breezy areas. Otherwise, insulation can reduce the heat loss as the vapor rises, causing the forced reflux to work harder. In other words, it decreases efficiency. The heat loss as the vapor rises is so that separation occurs, pulling out higher boiling points naturally. The forced reflux is meant to be used as 'final refinement' of the vapor that makes it to the top of the column. :)